Switched, Swapped, and Flip Flopped
by Xaphrin
Summary: Something goes wrong during a fight with Jinx, and Robin and Raven discover something painful: Robin has Raven's powers. Now, Raven has to teach Robin to use her powers, and he must train her. But will something stronger than a spell start between them?
1. Prologue

**Switched, Swapped, and Flip Flopped  
**_Prologue_

)O(

Robin was actually having a very good day. He got to sleep in, which despite the tabloids painting him as a vigorous and early riser, was his favorite thing to do. He didn't have dish or housekeeping duty to worry about, and everyone had left to go shopping at the mall, which left the tower comfortably silent. The sun hadn't come out beneath the thick cloak of clouds, so Robin didn't feel guilty about parking himself in front of the television and watching old kung-fu movies on some cable channel. It was going to be a perfect day.

"Hm. Don't you have something better to do than sit in front of the TV and let your brain rot?"

Robin cringed and turned to Raven, who was making her way through the living room and into the kitchen. Damn it, he thought everyone had gone to the mall, he should have known that little-miss-anti-social wouldn't have gone, even if they threatened her. She paused behind the counter and stared at him, obviously waiting for a response. Robin sighed and turned away from her, back to his perfect day. "Not really. Should I?"

"If you don't want to let your muscles turn to mush." He heard her putting the kettle on.

"What about you, shouldn't you be training?"

"I have been." Her voice was lined with indignant acid, and Robin thought it best not to look at her. He was pretty sure he would have seen her extra eyes starting to form on her forehead, and that was just a warning sign before she lost her temper. She'd been testy lately, and Robin couldn't put his finger on it, but he had the sneaking suspicion her irritability was directed at him. "Not all strengths come from brute force."

"I know, but it's hard to operate a sound mind without a sound body." He was getting annoyed. It had been such a perfect day; did she really have to do this to him now? It felt like every ten minutes she picked a fight with him, digging her nails into chinks on his armor and pulling with all her might.

"And vice versa." Robin smelled the scent of chamomile waft from the kitchen, and his mind was suddenly flooded with more likeable memories. The two of them playing chess, talking about the news or books they had read, or even just sitting in comfortable silence… things they had used to do often, things best friends did. When had Raven started to get so upset with him? What happened that she had turned so acrid? "So, in theory, your body will start to decline if you keep watching garbage like that. If it hasn't already."

Robin sat up from his position on the couch and stared at Raven. She pretended to feign nonchalance, but he could see a soft shade of pink touch her cheeks. Oh, she knew exactly what she had been doing. Robin continued to stare at her and she turned away, rifling through the drawers. "Seriously, Raven? Do you want to pick a fight with me again?" Her eyes darted up to look at him before returning to the drawer. "What is going on, Raven? Because all you've been doing since we came back from Tokyo is starting fights, and that was three months ago."

Raven frowned and turned away. There was a long pause as she refused to answer his question, but Robin didn't remove his glare. He sat there and watched her move quietly through the kitchen, keeping her eyes lowered and focused on what she was doing. Robin had half a mind to go up to her and shake some sense into her, or some kind of explanation out of her. She glanced up at him before starting for the door. "I'm going to my room. _Don't_ call me."

"Don't worry, I won't."

"Good."

"Fine." And Robin heard the doors close behind her. Finally. Now, he could watch his movies in peace. He settled back on the sofa cushions, but his day had already turned sour. Her sharp jabs had already taken root inside his chest and he growled angrily. What was her problem? Every chance she got it was another stab at him, another snide comment, or just something to grate on his nerves. He threw down the remote and started after her, but he stopped at the bottom of the steps.

What if she didn't want to be chased? What if she just wanted to poke at him and leave, because she took some kind of sick pleasure in it? Robin sighed and stared at the doors, feeling his heart sink into his stomach. What had happened to them? They were best friends, talked about everything, shared secrets. But Tokyo had changed all that, and he couldn't figure it out. He didn't understand what made them grow apart in such a short amount of time. Robin raked a hand through his hair and returned to the sofa, but the old movie didn't carry any more excitement for him. He stared at the images on the screen, focusing more on the colors than the story, and let his mind wander back to Tokyo.

An hour passed in silence as Robin retraced every step he took with her back then, every conversation, every unspoken movement. Nothing. He couldn't think of anything that he might have said or done to offend her. He had always guarded himself around her, knowing she could read his emotions. He had always been as kind as he could be, always polite. She was his _friend_. He sighed and let his head fall back onto the sofa, feeling his temples start to ache. What was wrong between them? What had changed?

Robin couldn't ponder the thought anymore, the siren went off and he jumped to his feet. Trouble. His communicator beeped and he answered it, looking into Cyborg's concerned face. Mass chaos was erupting behind him, and Robin sighed. "Let me guess, the angry brat and really bad witch?"

"Along with the massive minotaur. Yep."

"We'll be there soon." Robin snapped the communicator shut and glanced toward the door as it hissed open. Raven stood in the doorway, one hand perched on her hip. She frowned at him before starting for the door, turning into her aura as she did so. Robin sighed and followed suit, even in times like these she barely said two words to him.

The ride to downtown was relatively uneventful, save to having to weave through debris from Mammoth's massive strength, and Gizmo's newest volatile creation. He sensed Raven flying overhead, but never looked up at her. He didn't want to think about that now, not when his city needed saving. Work and home were always separate. Up ahead he could see a green T-Rex and a man, that looked closer to a minotaur than anything else, fighting on the sidewalk. Starfire and Cyborg were engaged with the grumpy midget, and Jinx was standing off to the side looking bored.

At least she was before Raven hit her with a small rock. Raven floated down in front of the petite witch and growled. "Can you at least pretend that you're doing this for a reason? Other than making more work for us?"

"Bored." Jinx shrugged and raised her hands to attack Raven with a spell. She jumped out of the way easily, but knew the spell was cast half-assed. Jinx went back to cleaning her nails, as if nothing had happened. "No one's hired us in a few weeks, we thought we'd cause some trouble and get a little more publicity. Drum up some work."

"You are just…" Raven rolled her eyes and threw a spell back at her, but Jinx moved just in time, never taking her eyes off her hands. Raven growled and Robin could feel her anger start to spice the air. He glanced over at her, frowning. She was angry over Jinx acting like _Jinx_? Really? There had to be something else going on inside her head, something that was making her emotions go haywire. Raven wouldn't loose her temper over something like this, not since he'd known her. Raven threw another spell, but Jinx dodged this one as well. "Stop moving, you silly girl, so I can hit you."

"Awe, is little Ravy-Gravy upset?" Jinx laughed and started to gather stronger magic in her palms. The air around the two crackled and hummed with power, and Robin took a safe step back. He knew better than to get between an angry Raven and a snide Jinx. That was asking for a violent chemical reaction. Jinx flashed a set of almost fangs. "I can fix that if you want?"

"Try it, Cotton-Candy-For-Brains." Raven gathered her own magic, preparing for a real fight.

Robin took another step back. Far be it from him to get in between this fight. He was about to call out something to Cyborg, but a green dot in the sky caught his attention. Gizmo. And he was headed right for Raven. Colors of spells erupted behind him in a show of magic, but no one seemed to notice the grumpy midget hurling towards them at break-neck speed. Damnit. He was going to have to get involved now. "Raven! Look out!"

Raven was too focused trying to beat Jinx down, and she didn't notice her screaming leader or the sound of jets. Growling to himself, Robin did the only thing he could think of to keep his teammate safe: he hurled his body into hers trying to knock her out of the way of Gizmo. His timing was just plain awful. Both Raven's and Jinx's spell hit the two Titans at the exact moment Robin's body connected with Raven's, and whipped through them like a very strange, tingling wind. He could see a flash of pink and black erupt around them, and for the briefest of seconds, Robin began to doubt his rash decision.

Raven went down onto the pavement with an "uhf" and blinked up at Robin with shock in her eyes. He could feel her body under his, and briefly wondered why he never noticed how warm and soft she was. What was he thinking. This was _Raven_ and they were in the middle of a fight! He shook his head of the thoughts and looked down into her eyes.

Time stood awkwardly still for a few more moments before Raven pressed a hand to his chest, right over his heart. Robin knew something was terribly wrong. Raven never touched _anyone_, not even if the world depended on it. He felt his stomach sink to the floor as he stared at her, waiting for her to say something.

"Robin… you're an idiot."

That he didn't expect and his eyes narrowed at her. "_What_? I just saved your ass from being beaten by a grumpy midget!" Somewhere behind him, he could hear Jinx giggling like a hyena, while Gizmo dusted himself off and climbed to his feet. He looked from Jinx to Raven to Robin and back again, and Robin felt color flood his face as he kept staring. What was he looking at anyway? He climbed off Raven and looked down at his body, then at Raven. Everything seemed fine.

Raven climbed to her feet and pointed a finger at Jinx, who was still giggling. "Fix this! Right now! Or so help me I will murder you in your sleep!"

"I don't know how!" Jinx was starting to snort now, and Robin growled. What was so damn funny anyway? He looked back at Raven who was starting to get angry. "That spell was just supposed to knock you out, I don't know how it morphed into _that_. You're going to have to fix it yourself, Ravy-Gravy."

"You're lying." Robin looked up and saw panic in Raven's eyes, and his stomach dropped another foot. Oh no. Panic was not a good emotion for her. Raven was fighting back something, but he couldn't tell what it was. "You're _lying_! You have to know how to fix this! This isn't my magic! It's yours and I don't want it!" She stomped a foot on the ground and Robin finally knew what she was holding back: tears. They streamed down her face in waves, as a small sob erupted from her lips.

Robin covered his head, waiting for the familiar surge of power as she lost control. Waiting for building to explode and magic to destroy things. But nothing happened. The world stayed relatively still. He glanced up at Raven and frowned. What happened that he didn't know about? He climbed to his feet and looked from the cackling Jinx back to the sobbing Raven. Oh dear god, what had he gotten himself into? "Raven… is everything…"

"NO!" She snapped at him, and her watery eyes turned up towards his. "Your stupid 'rescue plan' mixed our spells!"

"So, what does that mean?"

Jinx managed to stop laughing for a few seconds to answer, and a smirk seemed to be permanently sewn onto her lips. He wanted to rip it off with all of his strength. "It means that our mixed spells created a whole new spell that neither one of us knows how to fix."

"Okay… and?" Robin knew there was a vital part of the equation he was missing.

"You have my powers!"

Somewhere in the distance, Robin heard a fire hydrant explode.

He really was an idiot.

)O(

_Okay, so I know you're thinking I already have too many things on my plate. But I like it that way! I'll be switching between this and "Wide Awake" (which chapter five is almost done) and "Little Blue Riding Hood". I hope everyone enjoyed it, let me know what you think!_

_With Love Always: Xaph!_


	2. Chapter One

**Switched, Swapped, and Flip-Flopped  
**_Chapter One_

)O(

The other team members kept unusually silent as Robin paced their living room floor. Cyborg, Starfire, and Beast Boy were sitting on the couch, waiting for one of the other members to make the first move. Beast Boy had a bowl of popcorn, muttering about how this soap opera was way better than the ones on day time TV. He said it almost ranked up there with the telenovelas on the Spanish channel, at which point Cyborg smacked him upside the head.

"Stop being stupid, BB. This is serious."

"Ouch." He rubbed the back of his head and glared at his friend. "I'm just saying, if this were in Spanish, the awesome factor would be upped to eleven." Beast Boy rolled his eyes and returned to his bowl of popcorn, frowning. Cyborg hit him again.

"Beast Boy, _stop_." Raven crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her team mate. Beast Boy looked over at her, still frowning. Raven tried not to hit him herself, he was asking for it at this point. "This, in spite of what you may think, is very serious. I am completely without any of my powers, meanwhile overzealous, emotional Wonder Boy over there has the ability to bring down this entire city with one of his famed temper tantrums."

"There were so many insults in that sentence, that I'm not even sure how to respond." Robin had stopped pacing and glared at her. There was a loud, groaning noise from overhead, and Raven was pretty sure that his emotions were starting to compromise the support structure of the tower. Of course her personal jabs didn't help, but if he hadn't been such a blockhead, this wouldn't be a problem. Stupid boy. "Are you saying I can't handle your powers?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying." Raven hissed a breath of irritated air from her lips, and continued to glare at her leader. "You can think that it's easy controlling emotions, but you'd be wrong. It's difficult for me, and I've been forced to do it all my life." She shoved a few strands of hair out of her face and sighed. "We need to reverse this as soon as possible."

"You think?" Robin snarled back at her. Cyborg winced audibly as he heard the "pop" of something technical explode in one of the computers. Robin took a step toward Raven, closing space between them. Everyone could feel the electricity arc between them, and Beast Boy was bouncing on the edge of his seat, waiting for something to explode. Robin grabbed Raven's shoulders roughly, to the point of bruising, and gave her a small shake. Somewhere in the distance, a steel I-beam groaned. "I don't want this! It's a curse, and it's a curse I shouldn't have to bear."

"Well, now you know how I feel!" Raven pushed his arms off her, feeling her emotions rise into her throat like bile. He didn't have to be so rude about the situation. It wasn't her fault. She wasn't the one who made a stupid decision in trying to save her from a renegade rocket. She was just a victim in this whole, stupid mess. "I've only been carrying _this curse_ around for all of my life! You've had it for thirty minutes, and you can't even control your simpler emotions. Calm down, or you're going to destroy the tower!"

Robin pointed a finger at her and growled. "Don't push your 'Daddy Issues' on me, Raven. I don't want to hear it."

Raven shoved his hand out of the way and stepped closer, readying for a fight. If he wanted to pick at her, she'd be more than happy to rise up to his challenge. "Daddy Issues! What in all of the nine hells are you talking about? I don't _have_ Daddy Issues! I've got a problem with you and your egotistical, stuffed shirt, holier-than-thou attitude!"

"What are _you_ talking about? I don't have an attitude!" He pushed at her shoulders, but Raven just shoved right back. "All you've been doing is picking fights with me since Tokyo!"

Raven felt her heart fall into her stomach at the mention of Tokyo. Did he have to hit that nerve now? And in front of all their team mates? She shoved at his shoulders again, trying to hide her shocked expression from everyone. She didn't want them to know. She didn't even want them to guess. Guessing usually led to the truth with her friends, and she couldn't take that kind of stress right now. "Don't you _dare_ bring up Tokyo! I don't want to hear it! And it has nothing to do with this situation right now!"

"It has everything to do with this _fight_, which _you_ started." Robin snarled at her, and Raven finally stepped back and gave him a few centimeters of space. He was getting too intense. "What is your _problem_? You're being a bitch!"

SMACK

The room fell eerily silent, and the only sound was the tinkling of a few glasses that had exploded in the kitchen. Robin stood there with his hand pressed to the red spot on his cheek, staring at Raven as if she'd grown another head. Good. At least he now knew that she wasn't going to take this abuse without some kind of fight. "Shut up, Robin. Right now."

Robin's eyes flared red for a moment and he stepped right up to her. "You need to calm down."

"I'm not the one with incredible powers, and no good sense to control them." Without another word, she turned around and walked out of the living room. Raven stormed down the hallway to her room, pretending not to hear the loud cursing from her leader. He deserved a good slap to the face, as well as numerous other forms of pain. He had no right to throw what he did in her face. What did he know about her powers? What did he know about Tokyo?

Raven punched the code to her door and it hissed open. She locked it shut before falling on to her bed to stare at her ceiling. Somewhere in the distance, she heard the faint sound of an explosion, but that wasn't her problem. If Robin didn't want to treat her with respect, she wouldn't offer her help. Raven felt her lips turn down into a frown. Of course, her snide provoking wasn't helping their situation a whole lot either. Raven pressed a hand to her forehead, trying to stop a headache before it started. What was she doing?

There was no reason for her to act the way she was, especially towards her leader. There was no reason for her to take personal jabs at Robin every time there was an opening. There was no reason to start fights. There was _no reason _for her to behave the way she was. But she did, and Raven hated herself for it. He didn't deserve what she was doing, but she couldn't help herself. After Tokyo…

Raven tried to squash a groan. This whole situation should have never happened. It was ridiculous, something torn out of the pages of a cheesy romance novel, not something that Raven should have to deal with in real life: Raven had somehow developed feelings for Robin. Raven rolled over on her stomach and buried her face into her pillow.

It really shouldn't have been such a surprise to her, after all he did to protect her from harm, especially from Trigon. And day by day, Raven felt herself grow closer and closer to that dangerous, sharp edge of unrequited love. Tokyo had been the final nail in her heart, watching Robin and Starfire share a kiss. Raven didn't even have a glimmer of a chance, next to the wide-eyed innocence of her best friend.

"It's fine." Raven whispered under her breath, trying to ignore the ache in her chest. "It's better this way. It never would have worked out anyway. I'll get over it and be done with this nonsense." But Raven wasn't sure if she believed her own promises. They felt empty and stupid compared to what her feelings were for Robin. Raven let out a shaky breath, trying to calm her trembling nerves. This whole situation wasn't helping at all.

"Raven." Robin's cool voice was muffled by the thick quiet in the room.

Raven rolled over and sat up, watching his figure in the doorway. Of course locks and codes wouldn't keep her leader out. If he wanted to find her, he'd destroy every barrier in his way. Raven glared at him for a long minute before she turned away, pretending to be uninterested. "_What_? Come back to tell me all about my Daddy Issues?"

Robin squirmed. Good, he deserved to be uncomfortable, after all he did to her. There was a long pause as he took a deep breath. "That was uncalled for, and I'm sorry. I had no right to bring that up, especially because…" Robin stopped and looked away, ashamed. "Look, I'm really sorry, Raven. You're my friend and I had no right to throw that at you."

"Apology taken." Raven felt her heart tighten at the word "friend" and she glanced away. She was beginning to loathe that word. Robin fidgeted a little more, looking uncomfortable in that awkward space between her room and the hallway. He glanced at her, silently asking her to keep going with the conversation. Raven tucked her legs under herself and patted the empty spot next to her. "What brings you here?"

"I need help." Robin moved into her room, but still stood in front of her. There was another long, pause before he managed to snag a few words. "I… blew up the TV. I thought Beast Boy and Cyborg were going to throttle me."

Raven smirked. "It happens. Just take a deep breath and let it out slowly, it _does_ help a little."

Robin did as he was told, and Raven would feel the power radiating off him slowly dissipate. He looked at her and sighed, rubbing his forehead. "I didn't think that this would be difficult. I just… I don't know what I was thinking, but I can see I wasn't taking this as seriously as I should have been. I need to figure out how to control this… until we can fix it."

"Yes you do." Raven tilted her head to one side and watched him shifting his weight, still uncomfortable. "Calm down, Robin, you're only going to make the situation worse if you keep stressing out the way you are. You have enough power inside you to destroy the world, always remember that. Always remember that emotions make you into a ticking time bomb. One wrong emotion, one obsessive behavior, and everything will come tumbling down like a house of cards. No matter how bad the situation is, you must always stay objective and balanced."

"How do you deal with it?" Robin finally sat next to her on the bed, his shoulders tense with strain. "How do you deal with knowing that if you slipped just once, you might hurt something or some one?"

"One situation at a time. That's all you can do at this point, is try to deal with everything one step at a time." Raven pulled her legs up to her chest, frowning. "How do you handle being so… normal? I feel a little empty without my powers."

"Ha. I'm anything but normal." He shoved some hair out of his face, grimacing. Silence surrounded them yet again before Robin glanced over at her. "Will you help me, Raven? Get this… issue under control? I don't want to be a liability to the team. I don't want to hurt anyone."

Raven blinked. "Are you asking for my help?"

"Yes." Robin took another deep breath, trying to calm the ribbons of power. Raven watched him shift uncomfortably. "I need your help. I know I can't figure this out on my own, and even if this is temporary, I'm still dangerous and I'm not sure how to control that danger. I need you to teach me how to keep all of this in check."

"It's not going to be easy." Raven's voice was calm.

"I know, nothing ever is." Robin's eyes brightened and he looked over at Raven, as if a light bulb went off in his head. "If you help me control this, I'll help teach you how to fight hand-to-hand."

Raven raised an eyebrow, and tried not to scoff at the idea. Fight hand-to-hand? Was he serious? She was about as coordinated as a one-legged kangaroo. Robin had no idea what he was getting himself into if that was his grand idea to keep her safe. "Do you really think I should know?"

"If you don't I'll have you locked up here until we get back from each mission."

"You drive a hard bargain." Raven rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "If that's how you see it. Fine."

There was an awkward pause as Robin stared at the floor. "I'd feel better knowing you could at least defend yourself."

"I already said yes." Raven rolled her eyes.

"I know." Robin fidgeted for a second before turning to look at her. Behind the mask Raven could see the emotions starting to boil and swirl, and it took every ounce of her control not to make some indication of surprise. He _felt_ intense, like he wasn't sure what to do with himself. "I just… I worry sometimes. Even with your powers, sometimes you're so… _vulnerable_ and unprotected, and I get scared that we might lose you. That some one might make a poor decision and you'll be on the receiving end of it."

Raven blinked and tried to laugh, but it came out uncomfortable and forced. She hoped he didn't notice. "I'm a big girl, Robin. I tie my own shoes and everything. I can handle myself in a fight, and I'm not a china doll you can put on a shelf and stare at." She shook her head. "I'll be fine, stop worrying."

"It's part of my job as a leader to worry about you."

Raven actually laughed this time. "Worry about me, Robin? I'm flattered, but I'm fine."

Robin was about to say something, but the alarm went off. He frowned and stood up. "C'mon, let's go."

Raven opened her mouth to say it wasn't a good idea for him to go out in the state he was, but she decided against protesting. If she knew anything about Robin, it was that he was about as hard headed and as stubborn as a two ton boulder. Even if she mentioned his current state of emotional dysfunction, it wasn't going to help anything or anyone at all, least of all himself. Raven just rubbed her forehead and followed him into the hall, trying to think of all the ways she could to stay out of the way and not get herself killed.

)O(

"Are you for real?" Cyborg was trying not to roll his eyes as he stared at the three punks in front of him. Of course, Raven couldn't blame him. They had just left this same scene less than two hours ago, and now they were back where they started. Cyborg rubbed his face and groaned. "Seriously? We left you two hours ago, and you're at it again? What the hell for? I'm tried of it, and you've _got_ to be tired of it."

"We didn't actually _finish_." Jinx said cocking her hip to one side, as a smirk appeared on her lips. It took Raven every ounce of control she had not to walk up and punch her in the mouth. She needed to learn a good lesson about manners, and Raven was only too happy to help. "You five ran away with your tails between your legs."

"Because of what _you did_." Raven snapped at her and crossed her arms over her chest.

"What _I_ did? It wasn't _my_ fault your little leader couldn't stay out of the way."

"You cast a malicious spell, Jinx."

"So did you, Raven. And it just… went haywire." Jinx batted her eyelashes and tried to look innocent. Raven thought she looked about as sweet as an angry porcupine, but that was her own opinion. "It's not _my_ fault."

The air grew thick and metallic as Raven felt a sudden surge of power, and she looked over at Robin. His lips were pressed tight, and his were shaking. Damnit. He was one stray emotion away from turning the pleasant park into a crater. She grabbed his arm and gave him a tug, pulling him close to her. "Calm _down_, Robin. Remember what I told you about your emotions. Be _objective_."

"It's a little too hard." Robin hissed a long breath between his teeth.

"Don't think with your feelings, Wonder Boy." Raven's fingers dug deeper into his skin. "Think with your brain."

"Thanks for the support." His sarcasm dripped like verbal venom, and it took Raven every ounce of her self-control not to punch him in the face as well. He was pulling at every single one of her nerves, and he knew it. It seemed _everyone_ wanted to get on her bad side today. Was it "Annoy the Hell Out of Raven" day and no one told her?

"I can't help you control your emotions, I can only teach you _how_." Raven shoved him away and rolled her eyes. "Calm down, and _think_, Robin." She glanced back at Jinx, who was watching the scene with a smirk on her face. "You keep your nasty remarks to yourself. I need to know if we can fix this."

"_We_?" Jinx scoffed and raised an eyebrow. "I didn't realize you were asking for my help."

"I'm not." Raven growled and took a step forward. "I'm asking if you know of anyway to reverse this."

"It's not my spell." Jinx looked at her finger nails, and rolled her eyes. "I didn't cast anything more than simple confusion incantation. And even if it was my spell that hit your precious leader, _I_ would have been the one affected, not you." She looked Robin up and down, chewing on her lip. Raven began to feel her cool truth start to sink into her bones. Jinx made a valid point. "You cast a pretty nasty spell didn't you?"

Raven felt Robin's shocked eyes and she looked away, slightly ashamed. "I… maybe."

"Raven?"

"Look, I cast a spell to cancel out her powers for a period of time, but you pushed me and got hit by both… and it created… _this_." Raven motioned to her leader.

"So, I have your powers because of _you_?"

"Well, no. Yes. I don't know." Raven threw up her hands and growled, turning from Jinx to Robin. "My magic and Jinx's is very different, when mixed it creates a volatile spell that neither of us know how to work with. Which is why you should have stayed out of our way, because I don't know how it turned into whatever this is now." Raven sighed and turned away from his accusing stare. Did he have to look at her like that? Like she disappointed him? Let him down? It was starting to eat at her. "It's not solely my fault, you know. And don't tell me that you would have done any differently."

"But…" Robin rubbed his head and let out a small growl. "Damnit."

"Now you know the truth, Robin." Jinx grinned, exposing a set of white teeth that looked like fangs. Raven wondered what would happen if she plucked every tooth from the witch's mouth. What sort of beautiful, tortured screams would she hear? Jinx turned and looked right at Robin. "It's all _Raven's_ fault."

That was it. Raven was able to hold herself in check because she thought _maybe _Jinx would be mature enough to help them for once. But Cotton-Candy-For-Brains just crossed the line. Raven stomped right up to Jinx, who was still grinning like a Cheshire cat, and nailed her right in the mouth. There was the delightful sound of flesh and flesh meeting, and Raven was sure she could hear a few of her teeth wiggle free from her gums. Blood started to dribble from her split lips as Raven watched her tumble to the ground. She moved to stand over the witch's body. "It's _not my fault_. So, shut up."

Raven turned and started walking back to the car, ignoring the empty threats coming from Jinx's friends. She grabbed Cyborg's arm, who cringed a little under the touch, but followed her anyway. She glanced up at him, surprise still on his face. Raven growled and let him go. "Let's just go home. I'm tired, hungry, and I don't want to deal with this anymore."

"Yes ma'am."

)O(

_Okay, so I know that this was a little bit of filler. I was just trying to get the ball rolling for the rest of the story. I promise the next chapter will be much more interesting! Well, leave a review and let me know what you think, what you don't like, what could possibly be changed. I love to hear opinions, concerns, comments, any thing at all from you!_


	3. Chapter Two

**Switched, Swapped, and Flip-Flopped  
**Chapter Two

)O(

Robin paced the length of his room, paused, then repeated the process. It was nearing two in the morning and his mind was too active to sleep. He kept replaying the images of today in his mind. The fight with Jinx, his talk with Raven, the second fight with Jinx. Thoughts and questions seemed to fill his head until he felt it was going to burst. What could he have done differently? What would he have changed between those broken moments in time? Well, for starters, he wouldn't have jumped into fight between two angry witches, and he wouldn't have let this get to the point it was now.

Cursing, he fell back onto his bed, staring at the patterns in the shadows. He still couldn't grasp his fingers around what had happened. _How_ it had happened. Magic was something he knew nothing about, it whispered in dark corners and down paths he never travled. It always stayed out of his reach, and he liked it that way. Magic complicated things, it turned simple explanations into huge productions. And now look at him? He'd inherited magic from his friend and had no idea how to use or control it. And now he was considered "dangerous" by his friends, proof that magic was just too complicated.

"Will you just calm _down_?"

Raven's placid, but still irritated voice made Robin jump in surprise, and he nearly fell off the bed. He lay there for a moment, wondering if he pretended to be asleep, would it send her away? Probably not. He bit back another curse and stumbled around the darkness for a moment before opening his door. Raven stood there, bathed in the dim blue light from the hallway lights. Her attire stunned him for a moment. It was rare enough to see her out of her uniform, but this was just plain elusive. She was dressed in a pair of sweatpants slung low around her round, shapely hips, and a tank-top that left little to the imagination. If Robin didn't know and respect her like a sister, he might have died at the sight. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. "You nearly made a pipe burst in my bathroom. Calm down or I will kick you in the head."

Robin took a step back and wondered if her extension would reach that high. Probably not, but the threat was still there, and he wasn't stupid enough to press her. "I'm _sorry_. It's not like I have any other options."

"You can, oh... I don't know... _not freak out_." Raven snorted inelegantly and pushed past him into his room. She turned on a lamp before plopping down on his bed, staring at him. Robin felt the anger rise into his throat, and without thinking he opened his mouth to say something rude. His lips formed the first syllable, but the sound of groaning metal behind him made him stop. She was right. He took a deep breath and closed his door, joining her on the bed. They stared at each other, as if shouting through their eyes, saying everything and nothing at the same time.

"Is there a reason you're here?" Robin finally snapped at her, after waiting for his heart to calm down.

Raven sighed and rolled her eyes. "I couldn't sleep. Not with my pipes trying to burst and my lamps exploding."

"Job hazard." Robin glared, but Raven just glared back. Of course she was going to play this game now. It was like she knew exactly _how_ and _when_ to push all of his buttons, trying to piss him off. Sometimes he had half a mind to throw her into the bay and leave her there, but that was like signing his own death certificate. "What do you want from me? To pretend that everything is fine? That this is no big deal and we can work this out?"

"Yes!" Raven snapped back at him, eyes narrowing. Robin reeled back from her sudden outburst, but she didn't seem to notice. "Because that's what a team does! It helps each other. Yes, Robin, I made a stupid mistake in casting that spell. I messed up and we've both established that fact. But you made a stupid mistake too by jumping in front of it." She ran a hand through her hair, her face showing signs of fatigue. For the briefest moment, his heart went out to her. "I'm _sorry_ I can't fix it. I want to, please believe me, but I don't know _how_. I'm sorry I did something stupid, but being an ass about it isn't going to fix anything either!"

Robin watched as her fingers trembled, running through her hair. She looked frustrated and scared, something he never thought he'd see in her. Raven was always the strongest emotionally, and watching her break down like this broke something inside him. It was hard to remind himself that she was in the same situation, and that she was just as upset and confused as he was. She was right though, he needed to remember that being angry and frustrated with her wasn't going to fix anything. They were a team, and he needed to help her out. "I'm sorry, for being upset, Raven... you're right, it doesn't fix anything. I'm just angry at this right now, and I just want to fix this, but I don't know how."

Her fingers continued to tremble, but a ghost of a smile passed over her face. "We both want this fixed, Robin. Being without my powers is like being without parts of me. It's like I'm missing pieces, and when I go looking for them they're gone. I know they're not there, but that hole is." Raven's eyes met his and she looked away, color covering her pale cheeks. "I just want to get this over with as quickly as possible, but I don't know where to start."

"Well, that makes two of us." Robin fell onto his back, letting out a noise that was somewhere between an irritated sigh and a growl. "Jinx made it perfectly clear that she has no idea how this happened or what to do now, and I don't know who else to turn to besides you."

Raven nodded, and her eyes glazed over in thought. "I have to do some research on how to reverse it, but that will take a while... there's so much to sift through and decipher. And, in the mean time, I'm not exactly sure how we should handle this, or each other."

Robin laughed and propped himself up on his forearms to look at her. She was fidgeting with a raw hem on her sweat pants, focused on a stray thread. If he didn't know any better, he would have assumed she was avoiding him, but then again, it _was _Raven. She avoided everyone. "Handle each other? We've only been living together for three years, Raven. I think we can handle each other just fine."

"Pft." Raven rolled her eyes and stood up, and Robin felt his eyes wander over her again, dwelling a little longer than normal on her tight stomach, peeking out from beneath the tank top. What was wrong with him? This was _Raven_, his friend and teammate... so why did things feel suddenly awkward between them? And why did it matter? Raven sighed, bringing his attention back to her restless form. "Just because we live together doesn't mean we get along."

Robin cocked his head to the side, feeling a strange pang of unrest shoot through his heart. Did she think that they weren't friends? They'd been together through every horror the world could think of, and they still remained close. In fact, he felt closer to her than any of his other friends, and they shared a lot of interests. So, why did she think they didn't get along? He sat up and watched her pacing the same path he had a few minutes ago. "You don't think we get along?"

She paused and looked at him, chewing on her lip. For a moment, Robin saw the doubt and a few shades of pain in her eyes. He wanted to point it out, but that would have just upset her more, and that was the last thing he needed at this point. Raven shoved a hand through her hair and leaned back on her heels, staring at him. "You said it yourself, Robin, I've been picking fights with you since Tokyo."

"You have." Robin watched as she started pacing again, effectively avoiding his stare. "Why, Raven? I've always considered you my best friend... and then all of the sudden you just closed up. It was like you folded into yourself and you didn't want anything to do with me any more." The air turned thick and soupy, like it was absorbing all the emotions from both of them and holding them hostage. For some reason Robin felt his heart skip beats and his stomach turn cold. He swallowed a lump in his throat as she watched him. "What changed between us?"

Raven rubbed her upper arm and looked away, sighing. "You really want to know?"

Did he? Even though he knew it would change everything? "Yes."

"Even if it changes everything between us?" Sometimes he thought she could read his mind. Robin nodded slowly, feeling her plum colored eyes bore into him. What was so dangerous to them that she had to keep it locked up? That she had to keep it hidden from him? She sat next to him, just watching. Robin began to feel the anticipation build in his veins, waiting was the worst part. "It's all about Tokyo."

"I know." Robin frowned, that was nothing new. This whole debacle had started in Tokyo, but that didn't explain _why, _just when. "I know it's about Tokyo, but I don't understand what I did wrong. I can't fix what I don't know is broken, Raven. And I want you to be happy, you're my friend."

She shook her head and sighed. "I know. It's just... it's hard to explain _exactly _what happened, Robin." They stared at each other for a few moments longer, and Robin felt ice sink into his veins again. What was she insinuating? That there was some kind of huge rift that had opened between them? That it was irreparable? He wasn't sure if he could believe that, but

She opened her mouth to say something else, but the alarm went off. Robin cringed, wishing he could just shut the damn thing off for _one night. _It seemed like every time they got a chance to finally talk things out, it went off. And they had to put their words back where they belonged, locked in a dark corner inside their hearts. Robin stood up and walked to the door, feeling Raven follow behind him. Whatever she had to say, he at least hoped it would still be on her lips later.

"You're not going anywhere."

Robin blinked up into Cyborg's stern face, feeling shock and anger rise into his chest. Who was he to tell him what he could and couldn't do? The team needed him, and furthermore the city needed him. He bit back a growl and leaned back on his heels, frowning. "And why not?"

"Because you're dangerous and she's powerless."

"You think I'm dangerous?" Robin's eyes narrowed, but Cyborg just crossed his arms over his chest.

"Absolutely. Did you see what almost happened at the park? What if civilians were around? What would have happened then, Robin?" Robin opened his mouth to try and retort, but nothing came out. Unfortunately, Cyborg was right, he was dangerous and it sucked to admit it. "We just can't take the chance."

"Wait!" Raven's anger whipped through the room and Robin took a step away from her. She still scared the crap out of him, even if she was powerless. That didn't make her any less dangerous. "I'm not going either? Exactly how are you going to manage with just Beast Boy and Starfire?"

"You don't trust us?" Cyborg raised an eyebrow, but Raven didn't back down.

"No, not really."

Cyborg sighed and shook his head, mumbling something slightly rude under his breath, he obviously had more balls than Robin did. "It's just Cinderblock, we'll be fine for tonight, and I already called the Titans East to send some help until you two can figure_...this_ out_."_ He motioned to the two of them and Robin's eyes narrowed, but Cyborg didn't back down._ "_I don't trust anything either of you can do at this point. It makes me nervous."

Robin growled, even though he was right, it just really irritated him when the team made decisions without him. But, it irritated him more that Cyborg didn't trust him. "And who are they sending?"

"Please don't tell me it's Speedy." Raven pressed a hand to her forehead and growled. "I cannot put up with him. I will personally murder him in his sleep if he's here for more than thirty seconds." And, if Robin knew anything about her, she would.

"Don't worry, I considered that. It's Aqualad. I wanted Bee, but if she leaves those other three geniuses alone, Lord only knows what will happen." Cybrog crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at Robin, who was practically seething at this point, and he heard one of his lamps explode in the background. Aqualad? Really? What right did they have to leave him out of the decision making? It was his life too! "I'm sorry, man, but I just can't let you guys make a bad decision and I'm left cleaning your guts off the side walk."

Robin rolled his eyes. "Thanks for your vote of confidence, Cy. And thanks for asking my opinion. You didn't want to see if Jericho of Kole could come? Aqualad? Seriously?"

"Aqualad knows the ins and outs of the tower, and I trust him the most. So, shove it, dude. As of right now, I'm the temporary leader until you can get your head on straight and figure this out."

"That's not fair."

"Life isn't fair."

"What are you, my mom?"

"If I have to be."

"You're an ass."

"I know." And Cyborg turned and walked away, leaving a seething Robin and an angry Raven, and they were both cursing him under their breaths. Robin yelled something profane before he stomped over to his bed, throwing off the covers. Raven just stood in the doorway, watching his temper tantrum with those soft, quiet eyes she always had. And he didn't care. Robin was _pissed_, he worked hard to keep the team a team and then Cyborg just ripped the rug out from under his feet, leaving him teetering on the edge. Raven opened her mouth, but Robin cut her off with a glare.

"Don't say anything, Raven."

She raised an eyebrow, but kept surprisingly quiet.

"I know you're going to tell me to calm down, that I should take this in stride, that I need to keep my emotions under control. Well, fuck off. I'm pissed that he did this without consulting me or you and now _we_ have to be babysat like children." Robin threw a pillow on the floor and growled at it. Raven blinked before giving a one-shouldered shrug.

"I was actually just going to say that this sucked, but if you want to be dramatic about it." She turned and started for the door, shaking her head. "Whatever makes you happy, Robin. I'm going to bed, good night." And she was gone, leaving a surprised, dumbfounded Robin in her wake. Why did everything have to be this way? And right now? He pulled his pillow over his head and tried not to scream. This was just _great_.

)O(

Robin barely slept the rest of the night. He traveled in and out of consciousness, tossed in his sheets, but never quite fell into any stage of sleep. He lay there and watched the light stretch across the floor, making shapes and patterns on the carpet. Anger and curses sat on his lips, but he bit them back, just in case something else blew up. He was pretty sure he had destroyed something vital to the main circuitry earlier this morning, and he probably wouldn't hear the end of it from Cyborg. Whatever, he deserved a little suffering anyway.

"Are you up?" Raven, again, of course. Who else would be up at this hour?

"Unfortunately." Robin slid out of bed and opened the door. Raven had already started down the hall, this time dressed in her standard uniform. She paused at the end of the hall and glanced back at him. She looked exhausted, but Robin couldn't blame her, they were both at their wit's end. "Why?"

"Cyborg just kindly informed me that our replacement is here." She rolled her eyes. "We might as well go say good morning." Raven sighed and her shoulders slumped. Robin ran a hand through his messy, morning hair. Of course, how could he forget _that_ episode last night? After basically being quarantined, they were informed that they were going to be replaced, and by _Aqualad_ no less. What a pain. If Robin didn't know any better, he would have been insulted.

But, as much as it pained Robin to admit, Cyborg was _right_. They were dangerous and a liability to the team, and if the city was going to stay protected they needed at least a little more force on their side. Robin dressed quickly, deciding not to shower or brush his teeth. What did he care? Did it really matter since he and Raven were going to be left out of the team anyway?

"Morning, Sunshine." Cybrog stood in the kitchen, watching as the rag-tag pair stumbled in. Raven stopped dead in the doorway, and Robin nearly ran into her back. Grumbling, he glanced from her, back to Aqualad, who was enjoying a cup of coffee, and then back at Raven again. She was unusually quiet for being so upset. Normally, there would have been a plethora of sarcastic comments, but she kept silent. Okay, so Aqualad was here, so what? He'd been here before. In fact, the whole Titans East team had been here before, this was nothing new. So, why did she keep acting as if it was?

"Good morning, Robin." Aqualad smiled politely, and Robin pretended not to hear a the greeting.

"Hmph." He pushed past Raven and walked into the kitchen. She could stand there all she wanted, but it was morning and he needed a cup of coffee before he could even be cordial to anyone. Cyborg crossed his arms over his chest and stared at him until the air turned uncomfortable and thick. Robin tried to ignore it, but there wasn't much use. "What?"

"At least _pretend_ to be nice, Robin. It's not his fault."

"Yeah, well you make it feel like it's mine."

Cyborg opened his mouth to say something rude, but Aqualad held up his hand, silencing the argument. "It's fine, Cyborg. I completely understand why Robin is upset. I really do."

"Yes." Raven had made her way into the kitchen and was rifling around the cabinets for a mug. "But being upset isn't exactly helping the situation either."

"Good morning, Raven." Aqualad gave her a soft smile, and something inside Robin ticked as a pale blush covered her cheeks. He wasn't sure what irritated him so much, but he could feel a strange burning in his chest, like someone was squeezing his heart. Aqualad rinsed out his own mug and put it away, like the perfect house guest. Perfect little Aqualad. Robin bit back another growl and turned away. "I'm sorry to hear about your unfortunate situation, but I do hope I am plenty of help to everyone."

Raven gave him a soft, shy smile and turned burning in Robin's chest. Exactly _what_ was that? Aqualad gets a smile and he gets verbally berated? What kind of justice was that anyway? Robin glared and grabbed his mug. "Well, just try to keep up. It's busy around here."

"I know." Aqualad leaned against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest. "I've stayed with you guys before." He paused, watching Robin. "Is there something bothering you, Robin? If it's too much for me to be here, I can go home." Robin tried to respond, but Cyborg cut him off.

"No you can't." Cyborg was just a little _too_ eager to jump into the conversation. "Because I can't handle fighting with Starfire and Beast Boy by myself. I swear it's like fighting with children."

"It's not all about you, you know."

"I'm not having this fight with you again, Spikey-Head." Cyborg rolled his eyes and started for the door. "I've already made my decision, and Aqualad is staying, at least until we can get this figured out."

"You made the decision without asking me or Raven. Exactly how am I supposed to respond?"

Cyborg just shook his head and left, leaving Robin even more upset than he was before, and he didn't think that was possible.

"You're making mountains out of mole-hills, Boy Wonder." Raven picked up her mug and started for the living room. "There isn't a whole lot we can do now, except figure out how to cope or reverse this stupid thing." Robin heaved out a growl, and Raven's mug shattered in her hands, falling to the floor in ceramic pieces. She yelped loudly and jumped back before turning to glare at him. "And you need to get your emotions under control before someone gets seriously hurt."

Robin just glared. She wanted him to fix this? _Fine_ he would fix it just to shut her up and get Aqualad out of the tower. Whatever to took. "You. Me. Gym. Now." Without waiting for a response, he grabbed her arm and drug her down the hall, deliberately ignoring both her's and perfect little Aqualad's noises of protest.

)O(

_Eventually this story is going to get off it's feet. I feel like I'm finally running down the runway now. And, in case you are wondering, yes, there will be some relationship building between Aqualad and Raven. My reasoning behind this is that I feel that sometimes Robin can be so blatantly oblivious that he needs someone with a completely opposite personality to make him realize the important things. Like Raven.  
Also, I am still using GoogleDocs, which is a pain in the ass, so please let any errors slide. I tried to do my best to catch them. I am getting Word back soon, now that my computer has finally been repaired. Thank you, Toshiba. :) _

_Let me know what you think! I love to hear your reviews!_

_With Love Always: Xaph!_


	4. Chapter Three

**Switched, Swapped, and Flip-Flopped  
**Chapter Three

)O(

"Ow." Raven cradled her hand against her chest, glaring at Robin. What was his _problem_? He had been swinging at her harder then normal. Even though she wasn't a _complete _novice, she still didn't have the skills to match him, or a yellow belt for that matter. He knew that, so why was he acting like he had a bee in his bonnet? "I thought the point of this was to teach me how to spar, not to beat the crap out of me." She looked at her knuckles, noticing slight swelling. They were going to turn blue in a few hours. "In case you for got I don't have my healing abilities any more. _You_ have them."

"I'm sorry... I keep forgetting you're new at this." Robin pulled her hand into his and examined it, looking for any sign of injury. "They're a little bruised, but nothing major. If I hurt you, just let me know." He glanced up at her, eyes dark behind his mask. "Although sometimes I think you deserve it."

Raven rolled her eyes and snatched her hand back. "One of these days I'm going to win against you."

"I'd like to see you try." He took a step back and stared at her. "First position. Show me again."

Raven attempted to moved her body the way he wanted it, but his grunting told her she was doing it wrong. She glared at him and let her arms fall limply to her sides. "_What_ am I doing wrong now?"

"You're leaving your feet too far apart, I can step right here and..." In a split second he had maneuvered his his body so that his left foot was wedged in between her own and he was just a breath away from her. The intensity in his stare made Raven take a half step back, and she caught her ankle against his foot. She tumbled backward with a curse, but Robin's arms wrapped around her, catching her before she fell. "See. I told you."

Raven nodded slowly, swallowing a lump that had appeared suddenly in her throat. The heat radiating from him washed over her in waves, nearly choking her. She stared up into his masked eyes, trying to remember that this was her _leader _and that he was untouchable. "You're right. I should be a little more careful."

"Just be more _aware_. Careful has nothing to do with it." Robin helped her upright and took a step back. "Again."

Any dazed feelings she had were quickly replaced with frustration and anger. Raven bit back a groan and tried to slide her body back into position, but Robin stepped forward again and hooked her ankles. She glared at him and shoved at his shoulders. "Stop that! You know I can't compare to you, stop being so hard on me."

"You asked for my help." Robin crossed his arms over his chest and watched her move through the room. She was about ten seconds away from punching him in the face, damned her bruised knuckles. He hadn't eased off of her _once _the whole morning and she had the marks to prove it. He sighed and rolled his eyes. "If you didn't think you could keep up with me, than why did you ask for my help?"

"I didn't!" Raven snapped her teeth at him. "You gave your help to me without my asking. And then you dragged me into the gym and started beating up on me all morning. Let me have a few minutes of rest at least!"

Robin opened his mouth to say something, but there was a knock at the door. "What!"

"Cyborg told me to tell you two to cut it out. He said one more outburst and the whole tower is going to tumble down." Aqualad. Raven felt her face color at the tranquil, even sound of his voice. Calm in the middle of the storm. Thank the goddess. Robin snarled at the closed door, but made no move to open it.

"Tough luck. I'm still working with Raven."

"Pft." Raven rolled her eyes and started for her cloak. "Like hell you are. I'm taking a break, it's almost two and I didn't even have breakfast _or _my tea this morning. I will come back to you in an hour, if my hand isn't broken." She moved, but Robin caught her ankles making her tumble to the floor. Raven cursed loudly. "You are a _bastard_ do you know that? A fucking bastard."

"You are not done." He squatted down next to her, looking into her face. "Get up, we're gonna try again."

"Robin, you've been training her all morning. Give her a break."

Robin glared at the door again. "No. She has to learn stamina."

"Not like this! I'm _tired_ you stupid asshole." Raven struggled to her feet, frowning. Her ankles felt like they were going to give out any minute. "And I'm beaten to the high heavens. Give me _some time_."

"_Fine!_" He threw up his hands in defeat. "Get lunch!"

"Thank you of gracious over-lord." Raven threw open the door to see Aqualad looking at her like a deer in headlights. She pushed past him into the hallway, growling under her breath. She heard him follow behind her, but didn't bother turning to look at him. Her anger was spiking beyond normal, and if she had her powers, the world would have been in flames right now. "Don't even say it, I don't want to hear it."

"I was actually going to ask you if you wanted me to make you lunch."

Raven felt color rise to her face again and she turned to Aqualad, he was smiling at her, looking as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Raven, however, nearly choked on his words. "L-lunch?"

"I'm not the most talented of chefs, but I know my way around a kitchen well enough." He took a few long strides up to where she had stopped. She had forgotten how tall he was and took a small step back, trying to put space between them. What was it about him that made her _uncomfortable_? As if all her normalcy had been ripped out from under her feet, and she was left hanging like Wile Coyote when the cliff disappeared beneath him. "I am more than happy to, if you'll let me. You deserve it after the morning you've had."

"Ah..." Raven found she couldn't look into his eyes, they were far too blue. Deep and dark like the bottom of the ocean. What _was _it about him? "I guess..."

"Good." He grabbed her hand and dragged her down the hall to the kitchen. Raven turned to see Robin glaring at her from the doorway, but she didn't care. Leave him to his dark, brooding ways, she was getting lunch whether he liked it or not. And then maybe later she would give him a taste of his own medicine.

"So, what prompted this?" Raven asked as Aqualad rifled through the cupboards for ingredients.

"I should ask you the same thing." His soft, knowing eyes watched her as he paused for a moment. "You aren't typically known for major emotional outbursts. Robin, however, seems to yank them right out of you." Raven could not express how _true _that statement actually was. Every time the two of them were together, it was like a volatile explosion erupted between them, and words became dangerous weapons.

"He has the innate ability to dig his fingertips right down into my skin and pull as hard as he can." Raven sighed and looked down at her bruising knuckles. They had swollen to twice their normal size, and she was seriously wondering if she had broken them. At least she could still move her fingers, that was kind of a good sign. "Sometimes I wonder why I even bother."

"Because he's your leader." Raven glanced over at Aqualad, who was cutting vegetables in a smooth, unhurried fashion. He looked up at her and smiled. "And he's your friend. Even though he _can _be a complete blockhead, sometimes being a friend trumps all high cards." He glanced down at her knuckles, his lips turning down in a frown. There was a strange shadow that crossed in front of his eyes, and he put the knife down. "Did he do that to you?"

Raven snorted and went to the freezer for an ice pack. Unfortunately all she found was a bag of frozen peas, and that would have to do. "It was mutual effort. I was trying to hit him as hard as possible and he caught my hand just the right way." She shrugged. "I'll be fine."

Aqualad shook his head and walked over to her. "Not without your healing powers." He took her hand in his, watching as she winced with the movement. He grazed her knuckles carefully, examining them. His touch was gentle and smooth, and Raven got the distinct urge to yank her hand away. His serious eyes found hers again. "Raven, I think he might have seriously hurt you."

She snorted again and pulled her hand away, putting the frozen peas back on her knuckles. "So? What else is new?" Aqualad's eyebrows knitted together and Raven suddenly saw the error in her words. Oh no. He was going to think the worst, _of course. _"Not like that! I mean we just fight... often... I... er..." Damnit, she had just swallowed her foot _and_ ankle at this point. Raven sighed in defeat and shook her head. "Never mind, Aqualad, it's not important."

"I think it is..." He stared into her eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. He looked intimidating, standing there as if he was going to scold her. "Is there something we need to talk about, Raven? Is Robin... _hurting_ you? Is there something going on that we should know about? If he's... abusing you in any way, you should tell someone."

How did this happen? And in the course of five minutes? Raven groaned and took a step back, her waist colliding with the counter top, pinning her under his gaze. Why now? Why _this_? Her life was turning into an after school special, and Aqualad was going to give her a talking to about her "personal space" and how no one should be in it. Raven ran her good hand over her face. This was ridiculous. "That's not it, Aqualad, I swear."

"You're acting like it is." He raised an eyebrow and stared at her. The severity in his eyes made Raven wonder who _exactly _was in trouble, Robin or her? "What did you mean then? Clearly he went extra hard on you during training, otherwise you would not have been injured. Raven..."

"I just..." She threw up her good hand and sighed. "You're not going to let it go until I answer, are you?"

"No."

Raven rolled her eyes and leaned against the counter behind her, staring at him. "_Fine_. You're just like a mother hen. Jeez." Her gaze fell to her feet before she looked up at him again. "The truth is... that I... may potentially have unrequited feelings for my leader." The admission made her stomach twist and Raven wondered if she would throw up under the sensation. "_There_. Are you quite happy?"

"Oh." Aqualad blinked at her, his expression of concern and anger melting into shock. "Do you..." His words trailed off, but he didn't have to finish the sentence to have Raven understand him. He was asking a very personal and poignant question, and Raven wasn't sure if she wanted to face the answer just yet.

"I don't know." Raven shrugged and turned away, feigning nonchalance. "I haven't decided that yet."

Aqualad opened his mouth to say something, but Raven's glare shut him up. She knew exactly what he was going to say, and quite frankly, she did not want to hear it. She sighed and turned away from him. "Thanks for offering lunch, Aqualad, but I think I need some time by myself."

"Raven." The softness in his voice made her turn back around. She met his eyes and was unable to keep a deep blush from crawling up her neck. He motioned to the kitchen table. "At least eat. I promise no more prying questions. We're just two friends having lunch, okay?" How could she refuse him when he kept acting like an actual gentleman, which was a rarity in the tower.

"_Fine_." Raven plopped down at the table. "Here I am."

He smiled at her, then turned back to his vegetables. "There you are." Silence filled the space between them, and Raven fidgeted in it. She was more used to tower being noisy and busy as all her teammates occupied their free time with whatever it was that they did. Video games, romance movies, and... _stankball._ Having a quiet moment was kind of nice. "So, tell me exactly what happened between you and Robin?"

Raven felt the growl escape before she could stop it. "I thought we agreed on no prying questions."

Aqualad blushed a little. "That's not what I meant. I mean with Jinx. What happened during the battle?"

"Oh... um..." Raven sighed and let her head fall back, staring at the ceiling. They really needed to dust in in the corners before the dust bunnies commandeered the tower. "Well, Robin tried to save me from a rouge midget with a jet pack, and got caught in the crossfire between Jinx and I. The thought was there, the execution was somewhat left to be desired." She looked over at Aqualad, who was sauteing the vegetables, nodding and listening to her speak. "Unfortunately our two magicks don't exactly mix well and Robin has my powers. But I'm not sure for how long, if it's permanent or not, and I'm not sure how to undo the spell... or even if it can be undone." She rubbed her face again. "What a mess."

Aqualad was looking at her with concern etching his features again. "Have you told Robin this? That you're not sure what the outcome of this situation will be."

She shook her head. "Not really. I've hinted at it but... you know him, it's like talking to a brick wall sometimes. He's completely oblivious to the world around him."

"Even you?" At the statement, Raven sat upright and felt her face grow suddenly red. She stared at Aqualad, who looked a little sheepish. "I'm sorry, Raven. I know we agreed not to talk about it. I promise to keep away from that particular subject. It was inconsiderate of me to tease and I apologize."

Raven couldn't tear her eyes from him, and she felt her heart suddenly pound against her ribs. Exactly _what _was he doing _to her_? He was rearranging her world by simply being here, and on top of that had some how figured out her darkest secret within the course of a single morning. And he seemed... upset about it? Disappointed in it? Raven couldn't figure out exactly what this extra emotion was, but she wasn't sure if she liked it. She turned away from his dark stare and concentrated on the table top. "Forget about it... It's my own damn fault anyway."

"You can't help who you fall for, Raven... it's kind of like trying to reverse the pull of gravity. The only thing you can do is hope they realize how special you are." Aqualad's words made her look up. He was smiling as he plated their lunch, and moved to sit across from her at the table.

Was he insinuating... no. This was _Aqualad_. A prince. A Titan. And the heartthrob of women everywhere. He was just being nice.

"You don't have to sugarcoat everything for me, Aqualad. I'm a big girl and I can deal with the real world just fine." Why did he have to be such a gentleman? And why, in every level of hell, did she actually _like _his attention? She was normally a very personal and quiet person, and yet he managed to tear down every one of her defenses. She smiled and took the plate from his hands. "But I appreciate the sentiment."

"You're welcome." He smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes and something about the sight bothered Raven. She shrugged it off and returned to her lunch, but she couldn't shake the strange nagging feeling in her stomach.

)O(

"Are you done with lunch?" Robin was covered in sweat, watching Raven and as she walked into the gym. Of course he would have used the time off to brood and beat something up. He really acted like a hormonal teenager sometimes. Raven saw the way his muscles moved slowly, as if they'd been pushed way past his normal limit. He'd been training harder than usual, which was both good and bad. On one hand, it meant that he was really upset with something, to the point of hurting himself. But on the other hand, nothing had blown up. Which meant that working out and training must have been Robin's own form of meditation. Raven was impressed.

"You didn't blow anything up."

Robin rolled his eyes. "Thanks for your vote of confidence, Rae."

"No no... this is a good thing." She reached out and touched his wrist, and he turned to face her. There was a surge of heat between them and Raven snatched her hand away. Damnit. She needed to stop getting so close to him, it was going to throw everything off balance. "It means that your mind is clear when you fight, your emotions are guarded. It's a good sign. It'll make controlling my powers that much easier."

Robin's lips twitched in something Raven wasn't sure was a grimace or a smile, he didn't look all that happy. But then again, he didn't like being reminded that he was stuck with dangerous and unstable powers. He glanced down at her hand, which Aqualad had carefully bandaged after lunch, and his expression turned into a frown. Running his fingers over the fabric, he sighed and looked into her eyes. "I'm sorry about before... I was just..."

"Upset." Raven cut him off with what she knew was a broken smile. "I know. We were both upset and tired. It wasn't necessarily _us, _just... the situation. I'm fine, just a little bruised."

"You shouldn't be hurt at all." Robin ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm really sorry, Raven... I know I shouldn't get angry about all of this, especially when I know there isn't anything I can do to fix it. But I just can't help being mad. I hate feeling this helpless. I hate knowing that every time I react to something emotionally, I put you and the rest of the team in danger."

"I know. You've told me this before." Raven moved and dropped her cloak onto the floor and moved into the center of the room. She felt Robin's eyes follow her movements, and there was something strange boiling in her stomach. What was wrong with her? "Come on, Boy Wonder, let's train and get this over with."

She tried to move her feet into position, but Robin frowned and shook his head. "Let's switch, Raven. You deserve a break."

"I took a break." Raven rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. Robin at least had the decency to look a little sheepish. "You've been fighting with me all morning about how I'm not working hard enough, and now you want to take a break? You really know how to push my buttons don't you?"

"It's something I excel at." He smiled and took a few steps toward her. "I spent all morning beating you up, I just think you should spend all afternoon tearing up my mind. We'll call it a fair trade. And now you can get back at me for damaging you hand."

Raven felt a smile peel across her lips. For a moment things felt normal between them, the way they had before Tokyo. When they had been best friends who tried to give and take equally, and not start wars between them. But then Raven remembered that this feeling was only temporary, and they would go back to fighting at the end of the day. "I'll be more than happy to put you through rigorous training if you want. But first, you have to shower. You smell like a barnyard."

Robin frowned. "Gee, _thanks_."

"At least I'm being honest."

)O(

_I'm sorry this is so short! And I'm sorry for the delay in getting it to you! I feel like I've neglected this poor story for so long. So, please leave a review and let me know what you think and I'll try to stay on top of it as much as I can. Also, to anyone who doesn't know, Honeythief now has a sequel, Make Me Wanna Die so, check it out if you have the chance, and let me know what you think! I love to hear your thoughts!_

_With Love Always: Xaph!_


	5. Chapter Four

**Switched, Swapped, and Flip-Flopped  
**Chapter Four

)O(

Robin heard something explode in the distance and cringed, hoping it wasn't something important. He kept his eyes closed and felt Raven move around him, watching him. She clicked her tongue, as if displeased with what she saw, and Robin sighed, fighting the urge to rip out his hair. This was impossible.

"Calm. Think _calm_." There was another explosion and Robin felt her roll her eyes. "You're not being calm. We've been at this all afternoon and you haven't once managed to calm down."

Robin's eyes flew open and he stared at her. "No. I can't."

"_You can't_?" Raven touched her temples with her fingers, fighting a growl. "What do you mean, _you can't_?"

"I can't rid my mind of everything." Robin sighed and stared at the sky, it was staring to gray that unremarkable gray-blue color before sunset. "Raven, we've been at this all afternoon. I can't do this anymore. I haven't been able to clear my mind or focus any of my energies _once. _Clearly what works for you, doesn't work for me. "

"Well, _that _sounds vaguely familiar." Raven put one hand on her hip and stared. Robin's eyes flashed down her body, and something male in him enjoyed the view of her shapely hip and legs. He shook his head and pulled back a little. This was _Raven, _and she was going to kill him if he didn't start focusing, or if his mind wandered too far "off subject". "Okay… so what kept you from blowing up the whole tower when you were training?"

Robin jerked. He hadn't really thought about it, but Raven had been right, he'd trained to the brink of breaking down, but nothing had exploded. By all paths of logic, _something _should have blown up, disintegrated, or melted into a pile of nothing, but the tower was still intact, and there were no pieces missing. At least not that he knew of. So what was different? "I… don't know."

"Well, you must be doing something." Raven sat down in front of him and stared into his face. Robin returned the stare until she reached across the space between them and tapped his head with her forefinger. "What could be going on in here we don't know about?"

"Hell, if I know." Robin shoved her hand away and sighed, falling onto his back. The sky was deepening into an even stranger shade of gray, and in the distance he could see clouds moving toward the bay. He took a deep breath and tasted the tangy, metallic flavor of a summer thunderstorm. "So… what do you think it is?"

Raven shrugged and stood up, brushing the dirt off her. "I think it's your training, if you want to know the truth." Robin propped himself up on his forearms and looked over at her as she readjusted her cloak. There was a pause and she looked down at him. "You've been trained that thoughts get in the way of your actions and reactions when using your physical body. Your muscles are conditioned to move in specific ways depending on the attack. So, if I do this…" Raven moved to punch his chest, and Robin reacted.

He grabbed her wrist and pulled with force, sending her off balance and careening toward the pavement. He then used her momentum to guide himself on top of her with little effort. The display to less than a second to complete, and was done all by muscle memory. His mind was clear and Robin's knees dug into the back of her thighs and Raven turned her head just enough to see his face.

She smiled. "See? You didn't think, you _reacted_. Meditating works the say way… you don't think, you simply _do_." Robin blinked down at her, nodding. Her skin felt so soft and warm under his touch. "Will you get off me now?"

"Oh… sorry." He crawled off her and stood up, helping Raven to her feet. Robin rubbed the back of his head and sighed. "I guess I understand a little better now."

"Well, _a little_ is better than nothing." Raven glanced at the gray sky, chewing on her lower lip. Robin watched the skin turn plump and red. His stomach turned over a little and he looked away, frowning. What was _happening _to him? Raven moved to the edge of the roof, looking out across the bay waters. "Let's take a break… it's been a long day for both of us."

"I guess you're right." Robin rubbed his shoulder and watched her pace along the edge of the roof, balancing carefully on the ledge. She stepped one foot in front of the other, arms stretched out like equal weights to keep her even. Robin watched her legs still, his stomach began to sink. What in the world was she doing? She was going to hurt herself. "Raven… what are you doing? You're going to fall."

"I'm fine." Raven paused and bent forward, placing her hands on the edge of the concrete. She pushed her weight carefully on her hands, stretching her muscles taught under her skin. Robin held his breath, letting it burn deep in his chest. She was going to fall ten stories into the bay and without her powers! She must have a death wish!

Robin reached out for her taking a few steps to get closer. "Raven… I'm serious… you're going to fall."

"I'm _fine_, _mother._" Raven lifted herself onto her tightened muscles, pushing herself into a handstand. She stood erect for a few moments before she split her legs stretching them to the front and back of her body in a perfect split. Robin watched her in some amazement, he never knew she could do that. But, then again there was a lot he didn't know about her.

Come to think of it, the whole display reminded him of his first crush, back when he performed with his family. She was a dark-haired, Russian tight-rope walker, who spoke very little English, but had legs that would go on for days. The kind of legs teenage boys dreamed about. Robin felt a shiver ripple down his spine as he watched Raven stretch and move her legs, as if dancing.

She stayed there for a few moments before swinging her legs around and standing upright again. She cocked her hip to the side. "See? Just fine."

"I didn't know you were… so…" Robin desperately searched for a different word than "lithe." That was a surefire way to make her angry, and put his manhood at risk.

"What? Flexible?" Raven stepped off the ledge and moved toward the roof door. Robin watched her move, stepping so fluidly like a dancer. How had he never noticed this side of her? They had such deep conversations, fought alongside each other for years, and yet there were still pieces shrouded in mystery. Raven pulled her hood up and dusted off her cloak. "Meditation takes all forms, Robin. It's not just about closing your eyes and finding your center. It can be much more complicated than that… yoga, for example, is a form of meditation." She cocked her head to the side, smiling softly. "And even thought you may not realize it, your martial arts is your own form of meditation. Which is probably why the tower is still in one piece. Now we just have to figure out a way to channel your energies from that."

"Oh…" Robin rubbed the back of his neck and stepped closer to Raven. She paused and turned to face him, lips turning down in a frown, throwing up her emotional barrier. They were alone, and Robin suddenly became very aware of that fact. His heart jumped to life in his chest as his feet stilled on the concrete. "Hey, Raven…"

Raven blinked at him, face burning red. "What do you want, Robin?"

"Well… about early this morning, we never finished our conversation." Robin rubbed the back of his head and looked over at her. She had pulled her hood tighter around her face, trying to hide from him. Of course this would happen, she would try and pretend that this wasn't important. Try to find some way to avoid the conversation all together. Robin sighed and shook his head, he couldn't give up on her just yet. "I know we were interrupted… but I thought that maybe we could pick up where we left off?"

"I don't think that's such a good idea." Raven rubbed her arms as if she were cold, but there was no breeze. She moved for the door again, avoiding his eyes. There was something desperate and sad in her voice, and the thought of her being distraught made Robin feel ill, as if it were his fault. She gave him a weak smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Maybe some other time."

"If not now, then when?" Robin sighed and felt his shoulders slump. Why was it _always _like this? "We are always playing this game, Raven. Bickering, fighting, arguing, and then when one of us tries to fix it… we get upset again and nothing ever gets resolved." He looked at her, and saw the sadness in her face. "I just want us to understand one another. I want us to be best friends again."

Raven shook her head, closing her eyes. "I'm not sure that'll ever be an option again… but the thought is nice, isn't it?" She turned her head just enough to look at him. The darkness in her eyes was so intense, that Robin had to take a step back. Why hadn't he ever noticed all the emotion she kept there? Why did she keep it all inside, especially now? With no powers, she could express whatever she needed to. Robin reached out for her, but she shrunk away. "No, Robin… if things ever get to the point, I promise that you will have all the truth… but today is not that day."

"I…" Robin felt his heart fall into his stomach. "Raven… I don't want this…"

Raven opened her mouth to respond, but the door swung open and Starfire and Aqualad stood there, smiling. Starfire skipped out of the doorway, her red hair glistening like rubies in the thinning sun. She waved and ran up to him, throwing her arms around his neck. Robin stepped back a few feet to keep his balance. "Aqualad is helping me learn to cook like humans! It is not quite as tasty as Tameranean cooking, but it is quite fun."

"Oh… that's good." Robin gave a half-hearted hug back, feeling as if this was the most awkward exchange ever. Lately the feelings between him and Starfire had been _strange_, to say the least. Things felt like they were done out of habit, out of some semblance of normalcy, not out of any of the feelings he harbored for her. It was as if the relationship that they had built had diminished into steps, moments of muscle memory. There was none of that spark that they had, years ago, even months ago.

He looked over Starfire's shoulder and saw Raven talking with Aqualad in hushed tones. Her head was cocked to one side and there was a small smile peeling across her lips. Robin felt a bubble of jealousy rise into his chest, she used to look at him like that. She used to talk to him like that. Aqualad laughed and ran a hand through his hair, he took a step back and offered her to enter through the door first, like a gentleman. Robin sighed and stepped back from Starfire, letting her go.

"You have worked so hard today, Robin." Starfire kicked at the roof with her toe, not quite looking him in the eyes. "And… I have not seen so much of you as of late… you are always quite busy or… distracted." Her stark green eyes finally looked into his, and they were so sad it almost hurt to return the gaze. "I was hoping we could have a date?"

"I… don't know if that's such a good idea, Star…" Robin pushed past her, starting for the door. It felt safer to avoid her, than to confront the situation. He heard an aggravated sigh peel from her lips. Guilt rose into his throat, burning his insides with cold fire. Robin paused, his fingertips on the door handle, it was still warm from Aqualad's touch. He turned and looked back at her, offering a sympathetic smile. "I'm all kinds of messed up." Well, _that_ was an understatement. "And I would hate to see you get hurt…"

Starfire's head hung and she took a few steps away from Robin. "I understand…" Starfire picked her head up and offered a watery smile. "It's been a long time since we've really been together, hasn't it?"

Robin sighed and pressed a hand to his forehead, looking at her with beneath his bangs. "I… guess so."

"Have we even been… together?" Starfire's words hit their intended target and Robin winced in response. He turned away from her, his lips pressed into a thin line as he thought. He needed time to think about the severity of the question, of what exactly he would have to agree to. Did he love her as he once did? Robin would close his eyes at night, and all he would see was inky darkness. There were no more dreams of her, no more restless thoughts or counting flower petals. It was simply… nothing.

"Of course, Star… I mean… you are my girlfriend, right?" Robin cringed as the word fell from his mouth. Is that what she really was? A girlfriend? Or a friend who happened to be a girl? A friend he kissed out of some small amount of curiosity? Robin rubbed the back of his head and sighed. He really didn't know that answer, but what other options did he have. He might as well go with it, until his brain told him something different. "I'm sorry that we haven't spent a lot of time together."

"Oh…" She brightened up and the word and clung to his arm. "I'm glad we are together now though!"

"Yeah…" Although logically he knew everything was fine and that he had made the right decision, Robin couldn't help but get a dark, sinking feeling as he followed her down the stairs and into the tower.

Night was cold around Robin. Not that he ever expected it to be warm and inviting, but night was usually filled with sounds and movement, Beast Boy's snoring, Cyborg's channel surfing, Raven's meditation... There was nothing tonight. Simple stillness. Robin tossed and turned under his covers reliving dinner in his head. Raven and Aqualad had sat next to one another, still talking as if they had a secret no one else should know about. Aqualad laughed often when he was next to her and something about their proximity made Robin's blood boil. It was as if they had no regard for _him_!

Growling, Robin sat up and threw the covers off of himself, stomping out of bed. He paced around his room, trying to free his legs of any energy he had left. Why did Aqualad get to step in and take his place? _Robin_ used to be the one who sat next to Raven, the one who whispered secrets, the one who joked around… and now he was stuck next to Starfire explaining the difference between a zucchini and a cucumber. How did that work out? He didn't even understand what was wrong between him and Raven.

Robin fell back onto his bed, listening to thunder rumble in the distance, the storm was going to come in through the bay any minute. He sighed and closed his eyes, enjoying the noise and the change of his own emotions. The deep, sonic rumble seemed to calm him into almost slumber. Minutes passed and images began to float through his eyes, ones of the team, of things he had to do tomorrow, of things he wanted to do today… but one picture seemed to stick with him the most, and kept recurring until Robin had no choice but to stop and focus on it.

It was Raven on the roof, her body taught and flexible as she stood on her hands and split her legs. It kept replaying in his mind until Robin felt his stomach get heavy and his breath came in short, sharp rasps. His hands clenched and unclenched as she moved into a different pose, smirking softly at him. That same smile she used to share with him before Tokyo, the one he dreamed about sometimes.

This was wrong… so very, _very_ wrong. But then again… dreams were harmless right? No one would ever know if he wandered a little too far into forbidden territory… Robin felt his body shift and get comfortable in his bed, as if settling down to watch a good movie. He took a deep breath, and let himself see the image again. Robin followed the line of her legs, imagining her in the soft creams and pinks that the tightrope walker had worn. The gauzy, almost see-through fabric of her dress, and the baby pink fish-net tights seemed to turn Raven into something of an angel. Raven moved from her position to stand up, walking gracefully over to him.

"I never knew, Robin… that you were so… fantasy oriented?" She walked behind him and blew into his ear. Robin melted, and somewhere outside of his dream one of his hands moved to his stomach, as if it wasn't sure what to do next. His fingers twitched a little as Raven moved to his other ear. "This is the first time I've been in your dreams?"

Robin, in his mind, turned and looked at Raven, shaking his head. "No." The hand on his stomach twitched again. "It's not." It was however, the first time he had to use so much control over himself. His body felt like it was going to explode in a show of flames.

Raven wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled again, sliding her hand down his chest and over his abdomen. Robin's own hand seemed to follow suit. Raven nipped at his ear before whispering: "Boom."

"What?" Robin sat up, sweat dripping down his face as he listened to the raucous storm outside. His body was uncomfortably tight under his skin and Robin sighed, letting his head fall into his hand. This was not good… he hadn't _ever _had such a… _powerful_ dream. And definitely not one involving _Raven_. Robin threw a hand over his eyes and heaved out a sigh, trying to calm his nerves. He listened to the stillness again, this time interrupted by the occasional roar of thunder. Minutes passed, and the storm raged on. Robin sighed and stood up, heading for the door. He needed something to drink, or at the very least, something to take his mind off what had just happened.

The hallways were quiet as well, dark and empty. Robin rubbed the back of his head, trying desperately to clear his mind. The last thing he needed was to have thoughts and images like that stuck in his head. Especially not after he told Starfire that they were together. What a mess.

The doors to the living room slid open and Robin had to step back out of fear. Eerily cheerful calliope music poured out as bright stage lights stung his eyes. When his vision finally focused, panic hit him in the chest. There was a _circus_ in his living room. Literally. A green lion was howling in the corner, while Starfire stood next to it, holding a chair and a whip, shouting Tameranean at it. Cyborg was dressed in a leopard-print loincloth and had giant barbells in each of his hands and cursing up a storm. Aqualad was sitting in a giant tub of water, arms crossed over his chest. And, if Robin wasn't mistaken, there were sea-shells over his pectorals and he had a mermaid's tail flopping in the water. Robin snorted, served the bastard right.

"Richard Grayson! I swear I'm going to murder you!"

Robin looked up. There, on a tightrope spanning the ceiling, dressed in soft pinks and creams, stood Raven, holing a lacey parasol. Oh shit. It appeared as though his "nothing bad from a dream" idea didn't necessarily hold up anymore. "I… What did I do?"

"You let your emotions get the better of you." Raven threw the parasol at him and he narrowly dodged it. Robin recoiled as she continued to glare at him. "How do I get down from here so I can murder you? _Pink_? I'm in _pink_?" Judging by the red in her eyes, that wasn't the only thing wrong with her, but Robin valued his life too much to ask what else might be wrong.

"I'm sorry!" Robin threw up his hands to protect his face from any more flying objects.

"Don't be sorry!" Raven nearly lost her balance and started to topple toward the edge. Robin felt his stomach fall and he raced forward to catch her. Raven managed to find her balance again, and continued to give him her best evil stare. "Get your emotions under control of so help me, I will kill you!"

"You mentioned that already." Robin sighed and ran a hand over his face. How did this happen? He never meant any harm, he just wanted to… indulge a little. And here his thoughts manifested into a scene he didn't even know how to combat or fix. This was a disaster.

"Dude!" Cyborg threw a barbell at him and Robin had to roll out of the way. "This is not funny. At all. What the hell happened? And _why_ am I in a loincloth?"

"Why am I fighting Beast Boy with a chair?" Starfire winced as Beast Boy howled behind her.

"And why do I look like a _mermaid_?" Aqualad splashed water around, but Robin didn't care. Let him suffer.

"He was dreaming." Robin looked up at Raven who was unable to move forward or backward and was stuck on the tightrope. Robin was beginning to wonder how they were going to get her down. "I'm guessing you were dreaming about your previous employment?" Robin snorted, _something_ like that. "And you let your emotions take control… and here we all are, dressed as if we belonged in a circus."

"I…." He glanced up at Raven who was still teetering on her toes. "How do I make it stop?"

"You have to relax and calm down." Raven's voice was pitched low and soothing. _That_ was a first. Robin closed his eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Find your center… and just relax." Robin tried to wipe his mind clean, but he just kept thinking about Raven, in the beautiful lacey get-up. No. He needed to focus, he needed to listen to her instructions or she really would murder him. Raven's voice cut through again. "Just accept your emotions back into your body slowly, one at a time, until we are all back to normal. Breathe in and breathe out."

Robin felt the powers return to him, slipping through his skin and into his body. Moments passed, and silence followed. Finally, Robin peeked an eye open. The living room had returned to normal and he breathed a sigh of relief. Starfire was helping Beast Boy to his feet, and Aqualad and Cyborg were talking to each other. Raven, however, stomped right up to him and glared. She glanced around at the others, making sure they weren't listening, before whispering to him.

"Would you like to explain why I didn't have any underwear on?"

)O(

_I am so sorry this took so long to get out. Please leave a review and let me know what you think!_


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